Sounds recorded from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad were used in the Indiana Jones Movie

Voices:
Prospector - Dallas McKennon

The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction was manufactured by Walt Disney World Co. in September, 1979. The attraction is a roller coaster style ride with a height requirement of 40 inches and a track length of 2,671 feet. The track is of a tri-rail design, with two load rails, a third rail or "backbone", and three chain lifts. The track is divided into six zones, and each zone is sealed and air pressurized. Pneumatically activated and spring-released fin brakes slow or stop the trains, and linear induction motors use a brake fin to accelerate or decelerate the train.

The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has six trains, which can operate with up to five trains at any given time. One train consists of one locomotive (9 feet 9 inches) and five railroad-style cars or passenger-carrying devices, each of which can carry up to 9 passengers, connected together at a length of 66 feet by a tow bar and two cables. Each car has 3 bench seats with a lap bar at each seat. Each car running gear consists of front and rear axle assemblies, each of which contains two bogie assemblies. The running gear for the locomotive consists of a front axle, guide, and upstop assembly, a floating axle assembly, and a rear axle assembly. The floating axle is non-weight bearing and contributes to the theme appearance of the locomotive. Each of the floating axle's upstop/guide wheels are retained by two bolts with safety wire backup. Trains can be dispatched at a minimum interval of 42 seconds, with a ride speed of 41 feet per second and a ride duration of 3 minutes, 15 seconds.

Steven Spielberg recorded the rumbles and clanking of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for the mine-car chase scene in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

November 2012 ABC announced plans to create a TV show based on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a Disneyland roller coaster built to look like a runaway train, derailed at 11:22 a.m. Friday, killing one man and injuring 10 people.
Killed: Marcelo Torres, 22, of Gardena
Injured: Eight people were taken to hospitals; two were treated at scene and

It's not easy being Disneyland. To keep people coming back and visiting year after year, the Anaheim amusement park has to constantly reinvent itself while not changing in ways that'll alienate diehard fans whose nostalgia runs deep. A few months ago, the park permanently closed the Twilight Zone

Few businesses ever strive for excellence. Advantages, yes. Profits, undoubtedly. But excellence? Not so much. Thanks to a Christmas-break trip to Disneyland in California (not China), I now believe Walt Disney is a notable exception to this rule, and I'm backing my thesis with a CAPScall.

The parents of a 22-year-old Gardena man killed last year in a crash on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the amusement park's corporate parent.
The suit, filed in Orange County Superior Court by the parents of Marcelo

A woman was taken to a hospital and three other people were treated at the scene after they were struck by a Disneyland parade float tonight.
"A Christmas Fantasy Parade" was near the end of its route, near the "It's a Small World" attraction, when it hit the four spectators at about 8:15

Mickey Mouse is planning a blowout as Disneyland Resort in California celebrates its 50th anniversary, starting Thursday.
Sure, it'll be hot, and the lines will be long. But you know you want to go: the Matterhorn; Mickey-shaped, chocolate-covered ice cream; mouse ears with your name

Disneyland spokesman Tim O'Day, hired as a parade performer in 1976 and knowledgeable about virtually every Disneyland detail, is practically the grand marshal of the theme park's rich history, including its integration to motion pictures. The co-author of Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever talked

You don't really need a reason to visit Disneyland. It is the happiest place on earth after all. But when was the last time you stepped onto Main Street U.S.A. and took a spin on Dumbo the Flying Elephant?
If it's been awhile, you might want to consider planning a visit this year as the resort

I've been to Disneyland hundreds of times over the last two decades and have been writing the Funland theme park blog for about four years now. As a result, people are always asking me how to do everything at Disneyland in a single day.
The short answer is you probably can't. It can be a

It had been three or four years since I had last been to Disneyland. But, on May 22, my mother and I went, just the two of us. That day was the opening day, for lack of a better term, of the park's Diamond celebration. As a part of that, the parks were open for 24 hours, closing at 6 A.M. on May 23

If you live in North America, indeed much of the world, you are unlikely to have avoided the spell that has been cast over modern culture since the day Walt Disney opened the gates to his Disneyland theme park in California in 1955.
If you were a lucky child, your parents loaded up the station

Disneyland opened on this day in 1955. For five decades, the Anaheim attraction has worked its magic on our culture and transformed the entertainment industry.
To build his dream theme park in Anaheim a half-century ago, Walt Disney borrowed against his life insurance policy and cashed in

Pilot season is now going strong at the networks, and Variety reports that ABC ordered four new drama pilots today, including Big Thunder, based on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain ride.
Written by Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift) and executive produced by Chris Morgan (writer of

At long last, the "wildest ride in the wilderness" is ready to roll again.
Closed in January 2013 for extensive renovation, Disneyland announced Friday that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would officialy reopen St. Patrick's Day.
I was at the park Friday, just after the construction walls

It's no secret that Walt Disney had a special place in his heart for railroads. Years before Disneyland opened, he built a model railroad in his backyard which he dubbed the Carolwood Pacific Railroad and spent countless hours riding it, tinkering with it and giving his family and friends

A trip to Disneyland ranks first in most families' plans. But don't necessarily go there first. Visit on Thursday and Friday, usually the lightest days, when you can take in more rides and shows.
Arrive at about 8:30 a.m. so you're parked and ready when the gates open at 9 a.m. Pinpoint four or

A life-size replica of a Guantanamo Bay detainee has been placed in Disneyland by "guerrilla artist" Banksy.
The hooded figure was placed inside the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at the California theme park last weekend.
It is understood to have remained in place for 90 minutes before

If it was in the West, it's here. The Mark Twain Riverboat docks at the aptly named Mark Twain Landing in Frontierland.
The first train ride, apart from the Disneyland Railroad, was the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, opening in 1960; the Mine Train closed in 1977, and Big Thunder

Disneyland's main waterway has always been called the Rivers of America, but it wasn't clear what the name meant.
"We've never even named the rivers," said Kim Irvine, art director of Walt Disney Imagineering.
For the first time, the body of water around Tom Sawyer Island will have

When you think about budgeting on your vacation to Disneyland, you don't want to be thinking just about money, you need to be thinking about your time too.
During the summertime, the Disneyland Resort starts to fill up with lots of guests and the idea of riding all the attractions without

California safety inspectors on Friday said they have closed Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride for at least two weeks to investigate a Thursday evening accident, the roller coaster's third in less than a year.
Three passengers were injured and sent to the hospital after two trains

[*This article has been edited non-Disneyland Info removed--RLM*]
Disneyland
It's not surprising that the 1955 breakthrough occurred in Los Angeles. It grew out of the resident movie industry's capabilities and the special kind of ingenuity that for years had gone into inventing convincing

Earlier in the year, I wrote an article for DLDHistory.com comparing the Alice in Wonderland ride in Disneyland to Alice's Wonderland at Pleasure Beach Blackpool (the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom).
As I have recently come back from a week's vacation in Blackpool (and seeing as

The description in the Disneyland Paris park map for Big Thunder Mountain tells you that riders will "Hurl through an abandoned gold mine at breathtaking speed aboard a runaway mine train!" making this attraction one of only two within this park to have a blurb ending in an exclamation mark. (The

In the fifth of my series comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris), I shall be looking at selected references to the 1941 movie Dumbo within the parks.
Please note, I am specifically referring to the Dumbo paraphernalia within the Magic Kingdoms, rather than

Disneyland, the country's first truly big-time theme park, is located 27 miles southeast of Los Angeles in Anaheim. When the park opened in 1955, Walt Disney promised it would get bigger and better. Well, Disneyland is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, with a spectacle of special happenings.

The collision of two trains on the California Screamin' roller coaster, which sent 17 riders to the hospital, was caused by air leaks in the braking system, according to a state report released Thursday.
The July 29 accident, in which a 24-person rail car rear-ended another 24-person car and

Disneyland is billed as the happiest place on Earth. It's hard to argue otherwise.
A cast member helping visitors climb into a canal boat in Storybook Land told my family that Walt Disney's vision for his theme park was to "have every person, whether 9 or 90, feel like a kid again."
Were

Two days after Disneyland reopened a roller coaster on which a man was killed last fall, his parents complained that the park has not done enough to show the ride is safe.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened Wednesday after state inspectors gave it final clearance. State officials concluded

My how time fly's, seems like yesterday I was asking about when the Rivers of America would be filled again. I never like to visit the park when any of the water is not working. It even bummed me out during the renovation of It's a Small World when I saw the canals were dry. I know, weird eh? Yeah

Disneyland gets sued for injuries and deaths all of the time. Believe me, I get that accidents happen, but most of these tourists are simply victims of their own stupidity. Mild disclaimer: a few of these I've read about on only one site, so I'm not entirely sure they happened. Now, let's get down

It wasn't until I was almost finished with the human stupidity portion of this "Dangerous Disney" article that I realized that this should be a two-parter, so that (in addition to keeping it from being too long) some might hopefully regain some faith in humanity. Here is that second part. Again,

A sweaty and irritable 6-year-old girl, in line for Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, asks, "Mommy, why is everybody wearing black?" Mommy shakes her head, befuddled, as riders on the Thunder train scream and the line of gloomies swathed in capes and robes and knee-high patent-leather

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was cleared to reopen Friday by state investigators who released a report showing that a rookie employee and a computer malfunction were to blame for a July accident.
The July 9 closure was prompted after two trains collided in the loading station,

Each day, thousands of visitors to Walt Disney Co.'s theme parks ride pulse-pounding attractions that propel them into space, plunge them multiple stories and send them racing along tracks at stomach-churning speeds.
For the most part, visitors ride without worrying much about the risks,

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will undergo its biggest project in more than three decades when the ride closes Monday for at least nine months.
The Frontierland ride, which mimics a runaway mine train through an Old West canyon, will close so crews can begin a makeover that will

They worked, met, had their first date, and got engaged at Disneyland, with proposal coming in a dreamy location.
Ride operator Andrew Salter met Alyssa Allinson on her first day on the job at Disneyland.
Five months later, Salter asked her out for a first date at Disneyland.

Disneyland employees heard an unusual clacking noise coming from the wheels of Big Thunder Mountain train No. 2 on the morning of Sept. 5 and planned to pull it out of service when it returned to the station, a ride operator told investigators from the Anaheim Police Department.
But the train

In "85, my parents took my brother and I for a much anticipated trip to the United States.
Being kids, the highlight was naturally the trip to Disneyland in Anaheim.
When we arrived there, we saw that the queues to all the rides were unusually long. This was because it was the summer

If Disney CEO Bob Iger ends up running for California governor - as has been rumored - I'm sure that the environment will stand atop his platform, because nobody in the entertainment business recycles more than Disney.
Animated movies becoming live action films, movies becoming theme park

For eight years, the Pacific Northwest Mouse Meet has sprinkled a little Disney magic on Snohomish County.
The annual event brings together Disney fans at the Lynnwood Convention Center for a day of presentations, photos, autographs, sweet treats, activities and displays.
This year's

The Big Thunder Mountain ride at Disneyland is expected to reopen in March, six months after an accident on the train killed a man and injured 10 others.
The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to inspect the Big Thunder Mountain ride March 8 and 9, state officials

Disney is cracking down on the use of selfie sticks on rides at the company's theme parks, with reports of new signs being put into place at certain attractions in both the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim.
While selfie sticks are allowed in the parks,

Disney sued for death on train ride The family of a man who was killed when the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride derailed at Disneyland in September 2003 has sued Walt Disney Co., Reuters reports.
Marcelo Torres' family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court Tuesday.

The family of Disney ride-accident victim Marcelo Torres filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday, alleging that poor maintenance by Disneyland mechanics caused the accident that killed their 22-year-old son last year.
Torres was killed on Sept. 5, 2003, when the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Anaheim, California Bowing to fears of terrorism, Walt Disney plans to build permanent security gates at the Disneyland Resort next year. The company had resisted security gates around Disneyland and its California Adventure theme park next door, saying that the sense of fantasy would be spoiled.

Disney parks are known for thrilling rides, epic foods and drink, and a creatively magical experience. The original Disneyland park in California has many rides that match up with Florida's Disney World, but not all rides are created equal. For example, the Space Mountain in Disney World is

Disneyland The Happiest Place on Earth turns 55 this summer. Clearly, Walt Disney's dream of creating a family park where parents and children could have fun together is here to stay.
But that's not to say Disneyland hasn't seen its share of changes in 5½ decades. Indeed, one of the biggest

"I know it's here somewhere"
I'm not sure if that's exactly what was said upon first sight of where the Rivers of America used to be, but I'm sure it was something similar. Maybe with a little more salt. A lot of the excavation for the layout of the park revolved around removing existing trees

There's Got to be a Morning After
When we last left off, Walt Disney had made it through Opening Day. It wasn't all that he had hoped it would be, but he made it. "Black Sunday" was supposed to be a relatively tame press preview. Instead it resembled more of an all out free-for-all -- the park

At 8 a.m. today, Tonya Mickesh and Jeff Reitz were to go through the entrance turnstiles to Disneyland for the 366th day in a row. It's a journey that's seen them spend 24 hours in the park for the 24-hour Leap Day, watch baby ducks grow up, and go from unemployed to full-time jobs while becoming

Think you're too cynical, sophisticated, debauched or underfunded to visit the Happiest Place on Earth? This one's for you.
I am of Disneyland. My love for Walt Disney's 54-year-old theme park can move (space!) mountains. In fact, my love for Disneyland is so perfect and so complete that I

A recent four-night stay at Disneyland proves that this rich, glorious theme park, celebrating its 50th anniversary from now until 2007, is best enjoyed as a planned excursion, not as a whim.
Begin with Birnbaum's, an indispensable annual paperback that's available for around twelve dollars.

The pumpkin people have arrived at Disneyland!
Disneyland Halloween Time just opened the doors and guests are experiencing the delight of a not so scary Halloween Holiday, including the Pumpkin People.
Found at Big Thunder Ranch, just behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Pumpkin

It's no secret Utahns love Disneyland!
Let me preface the posting by saying this plan has been tried and tested by hundreds of loyal viewers in addition to yours truly. It's a great way to tackle the very best Disneyland has to offer in a time efficient manner.
So first things first.

The First Hint that my mission will be daunting: I tell the cast member in Guest Relations the title of the article I'm researching, and she starts to giggle. Disneyland in a day? Who am I kidding? "It might be a little hard," she says, handing me my tickets, "to do it all in a day."

Disneyland issues up to 10 VIP FastPasses on an average day to "extremely high-profile guests" enabling Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and state and federal politicians to skip long lines at some of the Anaheim theme park's most popular rides and attractions, officials said.

"Hey," the kid said. "I can get you out of jail."
I politely said no. Standing in lockup, after all, was a rare photo opportunity. The kid shrugged and walked off, and there I stood alone in my cell, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in front of me, the Mark Twain Riverboat docked to my left.

I miss the mountains.
Not the Cascades. Not even the Olympics. I love 'em, but those aren't the mountains I'm talking about.
I miss Thunder Mountain. Space Mountain. Splash Mountain. I miss the Matterhorn.
I'm in Disneyland withdrawal, baby.
I've had the blues ever since my

When my adventurous eight-year-old resorted to a sympathetic pep talk to convince me to ride Disneyland's Space Mountain with him, the role-reversal was too embarrassing to refuse.
On that magical, starlit, pleasantly disorienting plunge, with my son holding my hand, I had my Disneyland moment:

Two months ago, I was warned that my article for the July issue would be about my first memories of Disneyland.
I knew from the outset how hard this would be.
If I had been asked about my first visit to Florida's Magic Kingdom this would be easy. It was November 18th 1988, which was

Take a bit of the Old West, mix in a hair-raising thrill ride or two, and what do you get? A great way to have fun on this year's family summer vacation.
For 2010 Disneyland offers great combinations of fun rides and touches of Western heritage for the family.
Here's a quick run down of

If you live within an hour of the Disneyland Resort, you might want to have your next date at the Park. I mean if you think about it, Disneyland is made for fun and what could be more fun than getting a chance to know someone while playing a little too. It could ease the tension and bring a

Ghost Seen at Disneyland isn't official part of Halloween Time
The Disneyland Ghost was posted on Youtube very casually and it has got the chatter of Disney Fans going insane with theories.
This is a video of a 'ghost' walking through Disneyland the back of the park including the

A power outage at Disneyland affected about a dozen attractions in and around Toontown and Fantasyland, including the Monorail and It's Small World attractions during one of the Anaheim, Calif. Attraction's busiest and most lucrative weeks.
The outage was caused by a transformer at the park

It's a little-known fact that Sombrero Grande's first job out of high school was working at Disneyland as a "captain" on the Submarine Voyage attraction in Tomorrowland. In 1998, I left the park's employ and the Subs were mysteriously closed down soon afterwards. Immediately rumors began swirling

The last time I went to Disneyland I got to drive the jeep in the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ride. Unfortunately, my family disobeyed instructions and looked into the eye of the idol, so we were condemned to a terrifying adventure before finally returning safely to the loading dock.

Southern California residents can "show their Disney side" in 2014 as the Disneyland Resort once again presents a ticket offer especially for them, with options for two or three days of fun and adventure at the parks -- all at special prices. To explore all there is to do at Disneyland park and

The self-proclaimed "happiest place on Earth" is about to become a whole lot happier.
When Disneyland Resort's new 12-acre Cars Land opens in time for next summer's tourist blitz, it will represent the latest achievement in the world of "imagineering" a word that was coined to emphasize the

A car derailed on a roller coaster at Disneyland, killing one man and injuring 10 others on Friday morning, city officials said.
A car on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction derailed while the train went through a dark tunnel about 2:20 p.m. EDT, said officials in Anaheim,

A Disneyland repair crew found no problems when it inspected a roller coaster only hours before the ride derailed and killed a 22-year-old man, according to police documents.
Four Disneyland mechanics performed routine maintenance on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on the morning of

The Walt Disney Co. was sued on Tuesday by the family of a man who died on a Disneyland ride last year, and by four other passengers injured in the derailment of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride.
The three separate lawsuits, filed in Orange County Superior Court, seek unspecified

No trip to Los Angeles is complete without a visit to Disneyland. I haven't been here in years, but Sleeping Beauty's castle looks as beautiful as ever. What can I say? It appeals to my inner princess and will always be a Disney landmark.
Like Universal Studios, the crowds were smaller and

1954-Summer Construction gets under way and Disneyland begins to emerge from the surrounding bean fields and orange groves of Anaheim.
1955-July 17 The opening day ceremonies are beamed coast-to-coast in a TV special. One of the hosts: actor Ronald Wilson Reagan.
1956-October Attendance hits

Disneyland on Wednesday reopened its Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, which crashed last September, killing one man.
The coaster, which looks like a train, partially derailed when the locomotive broke free from cars in tow. An investigation by state safety regulators later blamed

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closing Jan. 7 to get new tracks, vehicles and paint.
It will be the third major overhaul of a major Disneyland ride in as many years.
The railroad in the Frontierland section of the Anaheim park has been operating since 1979 and portrays a

Oh, boy! The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration begins today!
Disneyland Park opened in Anaheim, Calif., on July 17, 1955, and ever since, it has entertained millions of guests from all over the world. That's no small feat!
"It's amazing to contemplate all that Disneyland has come to

Disneyland, a monument to childhood, is also a test of how well you've grown up. Your first visit is guaranteed to be interesting, just as the first time you drive a car, have sex or spend a night by yourself is filled with wonder. But by the tenth or hundredth time you do it, amazement will elude

Part of the magic of the Magic Kingdom, of course, is that despite the slings and arrows peppering the outside world, it somehow remains as seemingly immutable as one of Aristotle's First Causes, or Walt's immortal mouse, whose 60th birthday the park-itself pushing a healthy 33-is celebrating this

Disneyland's Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland is fondly remembered by the men who ran it.
Before there was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a roller coaster that hustles about, there was a battery-powered mine train that rolled along in that same stretch of Disneyland, an attraction that its

Disneyland is often called "The Happiest Place on Earth". When you break it down, this claim has a lot of validity. Magic comes to life when your favorite childhood characters begin dancing in front of you. Suddenly Belle, Prince Charming and Mickey Mouse come alive in one location, forcing you to

PERSPECTIVE
My youngest son's first roller coaster was Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. He had just turned four, proudly towered an inch or so over the 40-inch minimum, and jumped on with a wide smile. He loved it - as much for the excitement of the ride itself as for the

When Disneyland throws a party, you know we're gonna be there - and Disneyland After Dark: Throwback Nite was no exception. Disneyland's first event in a forthcoming series of themed nights this year was an ode to the rides, tunes, and thrills of yesteryear, complete with food, music,

The parents of a 22-year-old man killed in a Disneyland roller coaster accident last year say they're unsure the ride is safe despite assurances from Disney officials.
The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened earlier this week. But the parents of Marcelo Torres say more time is needed to

With the recent launch of a new direct flight between Toronto's Pearson International Airport and the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA, Air Canada teamed up with the folks at Disneyland and the tourism boards of Orange County, Anaheim, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Huntington Beach to send a

Four members of a family involved in a 2004 roller coaster accident sued Disneyland, alleging the theme park failed to follow proper safety procedures on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride.
The lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court on Thursday. It says the Cope family of

Free to all guests
Available for 13 attractions
Spend less time standing in line
The FASTPASS attraction entrances are separate, with much shorter lines
Park admission passport goes into the machine
A ticket prints out with a window of time to return
Simple to use

It was one of the most calamitous weeks in the history of America's amusement parks. On August 22, a 12-year-old boy was killed after plummeting some 200 feet from the Drop Zone Stunt Tower at Paramount's Great American park in Santa Clara, Calif. The next day, a 20-year-old man partially removed

Magic Kingdom Transpo - Perhaps it's the "transportation nerd" in me, but when I was at an otherwise-delightful weekend at Disneyland with my family (boy, do they do things up for Halloween!), I couldn't help but notice that there are some exciting new rides, and some innovatively-redone old rides,

When Walt Disney World opened its gates in Florida in 1971, Disneyland started taking the proverbial backseat to its younger (and much larger) sibling.
Disneyland was just a theme park. Disney World was a destination.
Of course, since then Disneyland has made great strides in making its

Well, howdy there, pioneers and sod-busters ... welcome aboard the ol' Gullywhumper ... Ya know, this here's the boat that ol' Mike Fink used a while back when he took on Davy Crockett for the wildest keel boat race this river has ever seen ... well, we ain't goin' to be doin' no racin ' today, so

Visitors to Disneyland will soon be able to travel to a galaxy far, far away. In January of 2016, Harrison Ford broke ground on Disney's upcoming Star Wars-themed land, an attraction that promises to satisfy the Jedi or Jawa in all of us.
In August of 2015, Disney executives announced plans to

The OC may have gotten the axe but the real Orange County is alive and thriving.
Our very own Dennis Hensley ventures behind the orange curtain for Gay Days at Disneyland and much, much more. Do these mouse ears make me look gay?
Day 1 - Thursday, October 4 - Anaheim, CA
A Menage I

The morning after President Barack Obama interrupted "The Simpsons" to inform the country about the death of Osama bin Laden, my husband and I drove down to Disneyland.
Now this was not a spur-of-the-moment, Munchkin-style "the wicked old witch at last is dead" kind of celebration. That would

The thing that surprised me about Disneyland is how much fun I had without my kid.
No, we didn't go by ourselves we brought our daughter. And we all had a blast. It was a couple days of fairies and magic and 5,000-calorie meals dipped in sugar and then glazed. Just like Walt envisioned.

Filled with more than 20,000 seniors from all throughout California, Disneyland was the place to be May 20-21.
For most schools, the "Grad Nite" package included dinner at Medieval Times, followed by three hours at Disney's California Adventure and ending with a six-hour, nonstop,

Disneyland is not just for sugar-soaked kids. Consider, all you grown-up women out there, going for a gals' day out.
That's exactly what my childhood friend Joanna and I, both of us in our 30s, recently did instead of heading to the beach or shopping. Did we channel our inner princesses? Nope.

From pumpkins and fall colors to spooky fun, I kinda wish it were Halloween Time all the time.
Especially at the Happiest Place on Earth.
This past weekend, the monster and I had the privilege of attending a mom blogger event at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, where they

Disneyland was Walt Disney's baby, a dream he nurtured for years which eventually turned into a flat-out obsession ... an obsession that had as many skeptics as it had bank creditors demanding that Disney make good on all the loans he needed to make his pie-in-the-sky come true.
Tomorrow, The

When Disneyland closes for the night, members of its overnight shift are just arriving.
Starting at 11:30 p.m., the third shift crew at the Disneyland Resort begins its nightly routine. Machinists inspect the rides, gardeners mow lawns and trim trees, and the custodial crew rolls out

This week, our unlicensed astrologers tell your fortune based on your favorite attraction at Disneyland.
Splash Mountain
Drinking a can of beer through a straw is totally unclassy, but drinking an entire pitcher that way will make you the biggest badass in a 12-mile radius.
Dumbo

Can theme parks become even more addictive? That's what parks in Southern California and around the country are hoping to do with their new crop of attractions for this summer.
Anyone in business knows it's more cost-effective to get your current customers to come back and buy more than it is

I'm not a fan of crowds. I like vacant beaches, empty parking lots and amusement parks with short lines. I suppose crowds and Disneyland are somewhat synonymous. As a lifelong Southern California resident, I have been to Disneyland countless times. Over the years, I have discovered a few ways to

State regulators said Tuesday that two Disneyland workers were responsible for a weekend collision on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, less than a month after the ride reopened following an investigation into a fatal crash.
This accident was different from the one last September in several

I had a thought recently, which was strange because, at the time, I was busy pushing children and senior citizens out of my way.
No, that's not true. The word "pushing," implies that it was intentional. As far as I can remember, I didn't mean to mow down that family. I even righted the baby

The new pocket-sized "Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland" answers the question, "What would it be like to walk through Disneyland with Walt by your side?"
The 128-page paperback takes readers land by land through the Anaheim theme park, offering anecdotes, history and trivia from Disney

From a parade grand marshal who's a real turkey named Marshmallow to giant Christmas trees and Elvis sightings, both real and perhaps imagined, the holidays have arrived at The Merriest Place on Earth. And, along with nightly snow showers on Disneyland's Main Street USA has come a flurry of

An upcoming George Clooney movie is called "Tomorrowland" but is it tied to that famous, futuristic area of Disneyland?
Walt Disney Studios announced Monday that it was producing the live-action movie in which Clooney will star; the film was written by Damon Lindelof of "Lost" and Brad Bird

Could the "Wildest ride in the wilderness" begin streaking through one of the best known ghost towns in the west in early February?
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed since last January for an extensive refurbishment. It was originally scheduled to reopen in the fall, but in October

After spending much of the day at capacity, Disneyland re-opened its gates with a little more than three hours to spare in its 24-hour day.
Park guests like Robert Llanos of Tustin spent hours waiting to cross from Disney California Adventure to Disneyland.
By 2:50 a.m., about an hour

Click! Your perfect picture memory is only a shot away when you go to the Disneyland Park.
While you probably will take a least 100 pictures of the kids on attractions, standing next to characters and the vacation pose that's the kids smiling ear to ear, but there are special spots for a

As we walked across the broad, brick-paved plaza, a burst of music swelled, the strings rising to cinematic heights amid a pounding of kettle drums. A man in a crisp white shirt waved and beamed. Perfectly manicured flowers swayed in the breeze.
It felt, for a moment, that we had accomplished

We're Disneyland freaks. We love the Matterhorn; Mickey-shaped, chocolate-covered ice cream; and mouse ears with our names embroidered on the back. At least twice a year, we make the trek to the Happiest Place on Earth.
As veteran visitors, we think we know just about everything there is to

By the time Michael Sahagian arrives at his favorite theme park ride, the Batman roller coaster here at Six Flags Great Adventure, the line already is hundreds of people deep. The wait time posted on the faux-granite entrance is 90 minutes.
Sahagian, however, is unfazed.
Whipping out a green

Retired Disney Imagineer Bob Jolley, who worked on Disneyland rides, passed away last Friday at the age of 88.
Jolley first worked as a scenic artist in the movie business, including epic films, such as "Cleopatra" and "The Sound of Music."
Jolley began his Disney career at at the Walt

Purchasing a Disneyland Annual Passport was like investing in a small car, but we did it. The goal this year: Hit every ride. Unofficially, it's to also chow at every outlet. And despite summers and some seasonal employment via the Disneyland College Program (it exists!) a long, long time ago,

The Main Street Electrical Parade, a night-time fan favorite that rolled along Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. for years, will return in 2017 with its synthesized version of "Baroque Hoedown."
A Disney official said its stay will be temporary but declined to put a time frame on the parade

Happiest Place on Earth? Not Disneyland on its opening day - not even close.
People weren't even very happy trying to get to the new park on July 17, 1955, as cars backed up for seven miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. Meanwhile, at the park itself, rides broke down, restaurants ran out of food,

Disneyland has remained one of the world's most popular attractions ever since it was built on a 160-acre site near Anaheim, California, in 1955. Love it or loathe it, there is no denying that nearly 16 million people eagerly flock every year to gawp open-mouthed at the Technicolor playground

A 40-year-old Romanian man was hospitalized after he was found lying injured alongside the tracks of Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster ride. Paramedics said Grigore Grigorean may have tried to exit the twisting, curving train that speeds through the mountain. But a Disney spokesman

An accident on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster Friday left a 22-year-old man dead and 10 other riders injured, officials said.
The cause of the man's death and that of the accident, which state and local authorities were investigating, were unclear Friday night.

The home of the Abominable Snowman is about to celebrate the Big Five-O.
The Matterhorn, the iconic mountain of faux snow and speeding bobsleds, celebrates its 50th anniversary Sunday. Disney officials estimate that it has carried more than 258 million guests.
No special ceremony is

It was August 1969 and I had just turned 9 the month before. Summer was rapidly coming to an end so, as a treat, my Dad let me go with my summer camp group on a day trip to the Magic Kingdom. We were scheduled to leave early the morning of the 12th which was a Tuesday. We would spend the entire

The mine train that used to sit by the edge of the Rivers of America at Disneyland has found a new home.
The train's engine and two cars will be restored by the Carolwood Foundation, then put on display at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park, under the terms of an agreement with the Walt Disney

Missing since November, the beloved dynamite-chewing goat on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster is expected to wander back to his exposed butte in the next few weeks, according to Disneyland officials.
The extended and unexplained disappearance fueled speculation on Internet chat

I had never been to Disneyland. When I was growing up, we watched "The Wonderful World of Disney" TV show and thought it looked like a magical place, but the idea of piling all seven of us into the 1953 Plymouth and heading for California was not something that occurred to us.
I didn't even know

Disneyland fans have just a couple more months to enjoy Frontierland's Rivers of America before Disney closes it, and all its related attractions, for more than a year to make way for the construction of Star Wars Land.
So let's honor Disneyland's Rivers of America with some fun facts that you

Say the word "Disneyland" to any child and you're sure to get a smile.
KSL got an inside look at some of the new attractions at one of the world's famous amusement parks.
If Minnie Mouse doesn't get you moving, then maybe Pluto, or Goofy, or Donald Duck or Mickey himself will get you

An accident on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster Friday left a 22-year-old man dead and 10 other riders injured, officials said.
The cause of the man's death and that of the accident, which state and local authorities were investigating, were unclear Friday night.

A triage unit was set up near the ride and one person was wheeled to an ambulance on a stretcher.
ANAHEIM -- A locomotive broke loose from a train on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster attraction Friday, killing one person and injuring 10 others, officials said. The

Yes, I have finally purchased my first cell phone.
No, I am not going to tell you the number. I really don't want anyone calling me (more on that later). I didn't buy the danged thing so folks could call me. Well, actually I did. Sort of.
I broke down a couple of weeks ago as we were

So you've just flown across the country, and arrived in California. You're excited to start your vacation, but wonder, is it worth heading right to the park? Maybe you're tired from a long flight. Maybe it's already after noon, and you're thinking how much can you really see? Maybe you're

The parents of a 22-year-old Gardena man killed in a Disneyland roller coaster accident last year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company.
Marcelo Torres suffered severe blunt force trauma and died of extensive internal bleeding in the September fifth, 2003, accident.

The holiday season means the force of the crowd is upon Disneyland, so officials decided to help that crowd get around the park more easily by making part of the "Star Wars" land construction zone visible to visitors.
For a few days this week, officials opened a temporary pathway in

Gadget's Go Coaster is aimed at small children and pre-teen kids and their parents and can be found in the Mickey's Toontown area at the north end of Disneyland.
The attraction is themed like it is the home of Gadget Hackwrench, the female mouse from the animated television show "Chip 'n Dale

Police have concluded there was no sabotage in the Sept. 5 fatal roller coaster accident at Walt Disney Co's Disneyland theme park and have closed their criminal investigation, an Anaheim, California, city spokesman said on Thursday [10/9/2003]
State safety investigators are about halfway

Preteens are a little easier to handle at Disneyland, but sometimes not much. They are not really babies anymore, but not quite ready to let go of all the "baby" activities. This can make them a great age to take to Disneyland. They are big enough to go on most of the roller coasters, yet still

"All Aboard" will be heard again when the Disneyland Railroad opens Saturday, July 29, 2017 after a being shuttered for more than a year.
Construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge meant the railroad would be closed while a new route was built around Frontierland for the classic opening day

For four decades, Renie Bardeau's job was simple: Capture the magic.
If he had been a farmer or chef or bus driver, Bardeau's task would be difficult, because magic in the real world is rare and fleeting.
But Bardeau did not work in the real world. He spent his time at a place where

A San Diego family stuck on a malfunctioning Disneyland roller coaster didn't let their bad luck stop them from having fun.
In fact, the Biggart family said getting "walked off" of ride was a cause for celebration.
"We go all the time," Jason Biggart said. "We kind of get excited if we're

Sometimes when you hear secrets about Disney and Disneyland, one wonders could this be true? Then a decision is made that one needs to try it themselves to see if it is real or just talk. Which brings us to the Big Thunder Mountain Goat Trick.
This trick was described to me by Cast Members and

The Walt Disney Co. has agreed to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of a 22-year-old man killed on a roller coaster at Disneyland in 2003.
Disney said Friday it accepts responsibility for incorrectly performing maintenance on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. An axle

For so long, his life was about speed, or, more precisely, the rate at which he could thrill people by moving them quickly forward.
Now, his life is all about slowing down.
Bill Watkins, the guy who designed the ride at Space Mountain at Disneyland and was the first to take that ride, is

After a three-week closure to complete safety work, the popular Space Mountain attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim reopened Friday evening.
Disneyland voluntarily closed the 36-year-old ride April 13 after state regulators investigating the injury of a contract worker found violations related

Somewhere in Disneyland Park, right now, or at least very recently, or soon in the future, this exact question is being put to someone who just rode Star Tours by someone who opted to visit another attraction: Where'd ya go?
Because, as is the way with the popular motion simulator adventure, a

State investigators Wednesday blamed a series of human errors for September's fatal crash on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, underscoring concerns by some workers that efforts to make ride maintenance more efficient have undermined the park's once-unassailable reputation for safety.

Disneyland is a place where a grown man looks perfectly normal wearing Mickey Mouse ears and where a little girl can feel like a princess.
The first true theme park also is a melting pot where an Indian woman in traditional dress poses for a photo in front of the Small World ride

Is Super Bowl Sunday the least busy day to visit the Happiest Place on Earth?
According to persistent online chatter and practically anyone with a Disney annual pass that doesn't black out on weekends (sorry Southern California passholders, this doesn't include you), the day of the Big Game

Famed Disney "Imagineer" Tony Baxter oversaw the construction of some of the most popular Disney theme park attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones Adventure.
But a ride that's particularly close to Baxter's heart is one that was never built.

As a fat person who enjoys eating, and more importantly enjoys the camaraderie of eating with friends or family at the table. I have to admit one of the main thoughts of visiting Disneyland for a day is the thought of all the snacks to be had and eaten while there enjoying the park.
I mean

But I wanted more of Disney's new Indiana Jones Adventure ride.
So I climbed aboard again. And again. And again.
And again. And again. And again.
And again.
Eight times altogether.
And why not?
At age 48, I was in Disneyland. Alone. I was vacationing for the first time without my

When my adventurous eight-year-old resorted to a sympathetic pep talk to convince me to ride Disneyland's Space Mountain with him, the role-reversal was too embarrassing to refuse.
On that magical, starlit, pleasantly disorienting plunge, with my son holding my hand, I had my Disneyland

Disneyland Park opened its gates for the first time ever on July 17, 1955. Since that notable date in history, Disneyland has grown, expanded, and renovated countless times making it the enticing vacation point that it is today. For some people, however, Disneyland is not just a vacation spot.

We said we'd wait at least another decade before going back to Disneyland after the last exhausting visit, but there we were, only two years later, going back.
Such a reversal is not without precedent. How many women, after giving birth, say they're never going to have another child, and then

Changes at Disneyland in the 1980s started slow, then ended in a splash down a mountain.
During the first couple years of the decade, Disney Imagineers were busy with the design and building of Epcot Center (as it was called then) at Walt Disney World. But they were also planning a project for

The new century started out with few changes inside Disneyland, as the company was focused on big changes outside the park, but things would liven up as the century progressed.
2000
Parking at Disneyland changed with the opening of the Mickey & Friends parking structure on the land that

The seventies at Disneyland started with an invasion, then went into space, and ended with a wild ride in the frontier.
Unfortunately for Disneyland, the riots that had been happening in cities across America during the latter half of the sixties and some of the protesters turned their

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of Disneyland's most popular roller coasters.
The coaster thunders through mine shafts, bat caves and caverns, past falling rocks and water.
We've got some tips on riding the coaster.
*For the speediest experience, ride in the late afternoon, when

Every year, Disneyland magically transforms into a winter wonderland for families to enjoy.
There are almost 700 festively-decorated trees located throughout the park, including the popular one at the beginning of Main Street. Guests can enjoy visiting Santa Claus and even get a rare

A recent fatality at Six Flags Magic Mountain reminds fans that we are not immune to the risks of everyday life when we visit a theme park.
State officials reopened the Revolution roller coaster at the Valencia theme park earlier this month after determining that the ride was not responsible

The Senior Vice President, Creative at Walt Disney Imagineering talks about this immense new set.
Tony Baxter has lived and breathed the creations of Walt Disney for over 40 years. During his incredibly successful career at Walt Disney Imagineering, he even breathed life into some of

Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California is a special place adults and children can enjoy together. It is a place where all worries and cares can be forgotten and adults can be kids again.
Disneyland's has a lot of amazing rides for adults. Actually all of the rides at Disneyland are geared for

Disneyland has so much to do throughout its two parks that it actually may lead to adult onset ADD. There are so many options, visitors really should have a plan to maximum Disney splendor. This can be confusing for new park visitors and they may miss out on a few amazing experiences.

Tony Baxter began scooping ice cream at Disneyland in 1965 as a college job and rose up to spearhead the creation of some of the park's biggest rides, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Star Tours.
Now, 47 years later, Baxter is stepping down from overseeing Disneyland attractions.

The boy lost track of him years ago.
It was nothing dramatic, really. He just, well, sort of faded away.
Davy Crockett, that is.
The boy first met him when he was almost 5 years old. That was about the same time the boy was hospitalized after being mauled by a dog.
For a time,

A Sunshine Dreamlift to Disney is all about journeys.
Last Wednesday's 2006 Dreamlift, the fifth in the B.C. Interior, was a perfect example.
Seventy-nine youngsters from the Interior flew from the snowy, chilly Okanagan Valley to sunny Southern California.
Mentally, they were in a

Disneyland, the theme park that bills itself as "the happiest place on Earth," filled with people during a recent spring-break April day when the temperature hovered near 90.
People waited for more than two hours for a chance to ride Splash Mountain. Finding a bench to sit for a moment with a

*If you don't want to pay for parking and are going to park hop, you can use the Downtown Disney 3 Hour lot for free (for three hours) and either go in and out every three hours, or buy something and validate the ticket for more time.
*Use the Grand Californian Hotel entrance/exit from DCA to

Having grown up in Southern California, I can't remember a time when I wasn't aware of Disneyland.
I've loved the amusement park and all things Disney since I was itty bitty. I can remember being carried out to the car while it was still dark out when I was a little girl only to wake up again

One of Disneyland's long-gone attractions was celebrated by Disney fans during a barbecue at Walt's Barn.
The barn, which sits on land at the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park, used to house the miniature live-steam railroad that Walt Disney built at his home in Holmby

Tall walls were going up in the area under construction for "Star Wars" land at Disneyland during the week leading up to the park's 61st anniversary on July 17.
While Bothan spies were attempting to find out what the walls are all about, they were able to secure a copy of an artist's concept

Even though she was in the middle of Disneyland on a sunny summer afternoon, 8-year-old Erica Fieldman was not happy.
She didn't want to go on the rides that her cousin and brother wanted to try. She didn't want to wait for them while they rode, either. I told her she could choose the next

Going to a theme park is supposed to be fun. But listening to some fans, you've got to wonder if the thing they find most fun about Disneyland is complaining about it.
I get it - theme parks are a passion for many of us. We have been going to Disneyland for years, and those visits have grown

There is no denying that Utahns love all things Disney, including the company's theme parks, television and radio stations, movies and iconic cartoon characters. For many of us, a trip to Disneyland was an essential rite of growing up. I first went when I was 12 and I have taken my kids and

Some years ago, we took our two young boys to Disneyworld in Florida. They are grown up and my wife and I are going to California next year. Should we visit Disneyland, or is it a squib after the Florida park?
It's true that the Disneyland complex in Anaheim is smaller than the newer

In announcing a renovation of Disneyland's Tomorrowland, Walt Disney Co. imagineers acknowledged that men on the moon, home computers and time had caught up to the land, one of the five original areas in the 42-year-old-park.
When Disneyland opened, "1986 sounded very futuristic," said Tony

Frances Taylor was to ride aboard the Titanic with her parents on its 1912 voyage. But the crossing was over-booked and they got bumped.
Today, Friday the 13th, the now-100-year-old from Lake Forest tried to get aboard another boat, this one on the "it's a small world" attraction.
With

There is nothing quite like experiencing Disneyland through a four year-old or soon to be four-year old I should say!
The entire family got to share in grandson Samuel's amazing birthday celebration at the happiest place on earth. From the moment of arrival at the hotel when the staff

Enjoy a Mickey Mouse flapjack for breakfast, then hit Splash Mountain early. Eat lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch. Top off your day at Disneyland by watching fireworks from a little know vantage point. Those are some of the tips we picked up after visiting Disneyland five times last season. We

Donna Cleveland, San Francisco
Disneyland '59 was the scene of a double date gone bad. My boyfriend and my best friend were sneaking around the attractions behind my back. Her "date" was in on the deception. At a serendipitous Disneyland reunion in '94, the same old boyfriend belatedly